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As with any world, the world of Uggiriel is filled with nations and countries. Coalition of Kingdoms A collection of many human countries (not necessarily kingdoms) within a massive alliance. Each country retains a degree of autonomy but is required to follow certain rules and regulations, as well as adopt the Imperial Currency. They have a large amount of military power but they tend to be slow to mobilize due to their inefficient power structure and bloated bureaucracy. The Coalition is governed by a council of kings, with a High Lord being elected from among their ranks. There is some internal conflict between the old Imperial states and the newer monarchies like Autrius. The people of the Imperial Homeland believe themselves to be more important and prestigious, and that they should have more say in government. They also tend to be a lot more traditional and resistant to sociopolitical change. The new monarchies are more liberal and believe that the old Empire collapsed due to its rigidity and resistance to calls for regional representation. Whoever solidifies their power in government will be able to decide if the Emperor will be chosen by bloodline or elected to their position. Northern States The northern states are well aware of the factors that caused the collapse of the old Empire, and believe that allowing a degree of autonomy will ensure stability and prevent the Coalition from collapsing. * Autrius * Otrurg * Ofrium Imperial Homeland The old country believes that the Coalition should be more authoritarian, directly ruling over all of its states with minimal representation. It is the will of the Gods that the nobility of Tathor rule Eran once more. * Tathor * Duchy of Lorenz * Duchy of Ossenkamp * Duchy of Heissler * Vulker Lordship * Duchy of Neuhausser * Duchy of Gehring * Peasant's Republic of Allenfeld Southern States The southern states are somewhere in the middle, as they believe that autonomy should be earned rather than given freely. * Eskium * Uswus * Westmarsch The Order of Wulfrum In ages past, God of the Hunt Wulfrus was a much respected deity. His worshipers thrived in the dense forests for centuries, and even as cities and civilization spread into the woods his worship was still widespread. When wars began to erupt throughout the world Wulfrus chose to become the God of War. Due to this change, many clerics and crusaders took up his oath, becoming fierce demon hunters and honorable warriors. He began to bless his faithful with lycanthropy, giving them unmatched ferocity and strength in battle. Eventually a large amount of his faithful became an organized order of knights and became the Order of Wulfrum, which served the Tathorian Empire valiantly and bravely. When the Empire collapsed in 413 AC, the Order seized control of the old forest regions. The borders have barely changed since their formation. The knights’ ferocity is matched only by their skill and no sane general will fight their armies on a level playing field. Most nations and cultures despise the order for their warmongering and violent ways, despite it's otherwise honorable actions. Becoming a member of the Order requires years of training and devout prayer and service to Wulfrus. Once a knight becomes worthy as determined by Wulfrus himself, the trainee is given the gift of lycanthropy and accepted into the ranks. They typically do not fight for conquest, but rather for the glory and thrill of combat, meaning they have waged war against several countries for very little reason and with surprisingly lenient peace deals. There are multiple sub-factions within the Order of Wulfrum, and a person shows their allegiance with a faction by wearing a colored cloak. There are four main factions: Red Cloaks, Black Cloaks, White Cloaks and Gold Cloaks. Red Cloaks Red Cloaks are the largest and oldest faction, with their ranks encompassing over half of the Order. They are fairly traditional and value honor over combat prowess. They believe that the Grandmaster should be both honorable and a masterful warrior. Black Cloaks Black Cloaks take up roughly a sixth of the Order. They value pure combat prowess over all. They believe the strongest and most powerful warrior should be Grandmaster, and are of the opinion that war is nothing without conquest. White Cloaks White Cloaks take up roughly a little less than a sixth of the Order. They believe that the Headmaster should be an honorable and trustworthy man, and that the Order should be a reliable and trustworthy organization. They do not approve of war for the sake of sport, and would rather the wars be for some greater purpose. They would prefer the order behave more like an ordinary country. This makes them typically disliked by the Red Cloaks and thoroughly despised by the Black Cloak Gold Cloaks Gold Cloaks are very small and the newest faction within the Order. They formed in 986AC, and they are firm believers that the Order should revive the old Tathorian Empire. Many members have suggested joining the Coalition, as they see them as more legitimate heirs to the Imperial Crown. They are unique in that you are allowed to be both a Gold Cloak and another faction, as golden trim is the minimum required to show your allegiance. Holy League of Erhan An ancient country that has been around for most of recorded human history. A typically isolationist country despite its massive population, it does not particularly care for international politics. The power structure is archaic and its economy is stagnant, and yet nobody has been able to conquer it. The Church of Witdohr has a lot of control over the politics, and its power has eclipsed that of the king and his lords multiple times throughout its history. A tradition of martial combat and a history of fending off invaders has given birth to a highly effective military doctrine as well as an incredibly effective army. They are one of the few countries that have been able to repel the Order of Wulfrum multiple times, and were part of the old and all powerful Tathorian Empire as a rebellious vassal state. In recent years, the Church has been rapidly increasing its influence, which eventually led to the King attempting to quell its power. The Church rallied its supporters, which included most of the King’s own lords, and officially overthrew him. The Church then officially declared Baldur Ganz as the first Archpriest of the Holy League of Erhan, and under his leadership the country has undergone a new wave of militaristic nationalism, with a focus on religious identity. Religious minorities were forced to convert or be deported, flooding the surrounding kingdoms with thousands of refugees, and thousands more were killed in bouts of religious extremism. The neighboring countries and factions, especially the Coalition of Kingdoms look on in concern, and stand ready for war at a moments notice. The Three Tiered Pyramid The holy symbol of Witdohr is extremely important to the government and culture of Erhanian society. The tiers represent the ruling caste, the guardian caste, and the working caste. The ruling caste used to include both the clergy and the nobility, but due to the hostile takeover the clergy are now the sole rulers of Erhan. The guardian caste includes merchants, who ensure economic stability, and soldiers, who protect the country from outside invasion. The working caste is mostly serfs and peasants, who provide raw materials and finished goods to the other two castes. A member of one caste is not allowed to change to another. Merchant Clans of Bhornram See Merchant Clans of Bhornram page. * Cragforge Clan * Mountaincoat Clan * Hillbolt Clan * Axebeard Clan The Usmeny Empire A sprawling desert empire, with a rich culture and a powerful military. The Empire is surprisingly stable given its size, and it has a massive amount of raw materials and skilled craftsmen. Because of the general geography of the area, the dwarven underempires do not stretch very far into Usmen, and as such the metallurgy and craftsmanship of the Usmeny Empire stepped up to take its place. While not quite as effective as the Dwarven options, the exotic and unique craftsmanship makes its weapons and armor well respected. The Arcane Universities The ancient magical universities lie high in the mountains, far from conflict and the noisy cities. They are often run by Dragonborn, who are people mutated by draconic magic. The headmasters don’t have much of a connection to the outside world, and often do not participate in any conflicts or crises. The great libraries of these schools contain almost every spell ever created, and some professors specialize in spell creation, meaning that the universities are the single greatest innovators in magical studies. It is rumored that some of the universities are actually run by ancient dragons who were alive long before people began to study them. Once men began studying the magic of the dragons, the dragons actually joined in their scholarly pursuit. Elven Scholar Council The elves of Uggiriel see themselves as the smartest and most learned race. Many among them look down upon the “lesser races” and see them only as things to study or control. Interbreeding with other races usually results in exile and shunning, and only elves are allowed into the elven isles. They record history in massive trees, which are shaped by druids into letters and words. Cutting these trees is punishable by death. Much of their territorial holdings were simply taken out of necessity and without consideration for the locals, and they often relocated locals without warning or negotiation. This is a never ending cause of tension between many countries and the Elves. Elven ships are all sourced from a single tree, which is the only one that is allowed to be cut. The tree is shaped by druids into a ship, which is then cut off of the tree. Elven ships have an odd organic look as a result, with bark, branches and sometimes old leaves. Venatia Invaluable to intercontinental trade, Venatia is a strategically important country, being called “the crowning jewel of the old Empire” by many historians and emperors. In recent years the government has been rapidly losing influence over the country. Provinces and old conquered lands are demanding independence and the royal navy cannot deal with all of the uprisings. As a last ditch attempt to staunch the bleeding of power, King Auro XII has essentially created vassal states that are functionally his puppets, but it has done little to quell the unrest and calls for further independence. With the country on the decline and many rivals eyeing its highly strategic lands, Venatia as we know it may not last much longer. Dual Monarchy of Briuria - Esmaria In response to the birth of the Coalition of Kingdoms, the Kingdoms of Briuria and Esmaria formally agreed to a dual monarchy to tie their countries together. The Kingdom eventually fought against and annexed Frausau and Achein, who were much too weak to resist the combined power of the Dual Monarchy. They purposefully left Eskad alone as a buffer state between them and the Coalition, and are currently butting heads with Aspil, who sees the annexations of Frausau and Achein as the monarchy overstepping its boundaries. The people of the Dual Monarchy are very religious and mostly worship Ilier. There is a large order of knights called the Children of Ilier, who are respected highly by the majority of the populous. Two as One The merger of the two countries has led to their rise on the global stage. The combined military and economic power has led to a sort of golden age, and people within the country are fairly well off. There are two royal families, each with the same level of authority, which means both parties must agree to a policy before it is put into effect. Clergymen and the Nobility The governing of the country is done by the nobility who are appointed by the king, and the clergy who are appointed by the high priests. The clergy have more direct experiences with the populous, and can advise the nobility on matters of policy as a result. The nobility are expected to take the advice of the clergy seriously, but they are encouraged to make their own decisions rather than simply follow their directions. Republic of Leonheim Leonheim is the first republic in Uggiriel. Leonheim used to be under the oppressive thumb of the Lord Protector Jens Fergusson II, who used military might to control the populous. Over a decade ago the lower castes of society overthrew the Lord Protector in a massive revolt. The revolutionaries were mostly peasants, but a general by the name of Gerhard Hemmingson used the opportunity to earn himself a place in history. This revolt led to Hemmingson creating a democratic system and serving as the first Premier. Gerhard’s first action in office was to decide the official roles of the Premier, which he took to with ideological fervor, intentionally limiting his power with the People’s Court, a collection of representatives from across the country. Militarism has not quite left the country, and many people are willing to fight to spread their republican ideals across the world. Radikaler og Modererer The Radikaler and Moderat are the two dominant political parties. The Radikaler wish to bring revolution to all of Uggiriel, believing all monarchs to be oppressive tyrants and that Leonheim should be a beacon of liberty in these troubled times. Members of Moderat view republicanism as an eventuality, and believe that interfering in other countries' affairs might be more harmful than simply letting them continue as normal. The Moderat are far more popular than the Radikaler, but most people in Leonheim fall somewhere in between. Minor Powers * Pitgurat * The Sea Elves * Aldria * Feteşiţa * Grona * Lizardfolk of the Shaded Wood * Aspil * Eskad